


Awakening

by FrozenHearts



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Anger, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attempted Murder, Canon - Video Game, Dark Side Sith Inquisitor, F/F, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Sensitivity, Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Leia Organa, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jedi, Lightsaber Battles, Lightsabers, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Mentioned Armitage Hux - Freeform, Mistaken Identity, My star wars knowledge is rusty okay, On the Run, Order 66, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Canon, Science Fiction, Senator Leia Organa, Space Mom Leia Organa, Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoilers, The Force, Training
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-22 03:50:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20867729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: When Finn and Rey go to greet new refugees during the war against the First Order, they don't expect Poe to fly off the handle against a scared young man





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am so excited for Jedi Fallen Order and of course I have to be mean to Cal in a fic before the game even comes out but I saw some Hux/Cal fanart today and wanted to write this
> 
> (I don't ship Hux or Cal together but they both have red hair and blue eyes so I was like hey let's write some Poe and Cal angst all in one go)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of an intro chapter than anything, I will have Cal come into the story soon
> 
> I'll edit the story at a later time so please excuse any mistakes or jankiness in the chapters anywho enjoy!

It was after the battle against Snoke that the Resistance found themselves free to do anything. Pilots and mechanics fine-tuned their ships, civilians were re-united with their loved ones and put those they lost to rest....

Rey wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, if she was being honest. Living on Jakku all her life, she didn't have what these people had, her parents just....

Left.

Rey watched as a mother cried with joy, a young bot who was most likely her son run into open arms and giggle as she blew raspberries into his cheeks, stroked the tears streaming down his face. She felt hot tears prick the corners of her eyes as she watched-

"I understand, it's a bit weird for me to see too," Finn put an arm around her shoulder, making Rey jump.

"Sorry, sorry," Rey wiped at her eyes with the heels if her hands, "I understand- Stormtrooper stuff right?"

Finn sighed, nodding as he said, "Sometimes it's hard to think I have a family now."

Rey scoffed, moving to hug her friend, "For Kriff's sake, Finn, of course you have family- me and Poe, and Rose-"

"The nurses said Rose is doing better," Finn said, and Rey smiled; honestly, she was glad. Rose was an absolute spitfire, full of life in everything she did. 

"She still needs to fix my ship," Rey sniffed.

Finn beamed at her, "And she'll be jumping at the chance, I just know it. Is Poe around?"

Rey watched as the mother and her child were led towards the infirmary, taking in the people walking into the base with whatever little belongings they had. Aliens with multiple arms or eyes or antenna, humans in finery she'd never seen the likes of or the barest of rags. All of them, just looking for a place to live, a place to be safe.

"I think he said he was coming down in a few minutes," Rey said, "Had to go through all the newcomers to the base for Leia's records."

Rey had caught a glimpse of Poe before as well- the man had look absolutely haggard, with deep bags under his eyes and shoulders hanging wearily as he ran about. She knew Poe looked up to Leia very much, but even Leia had to convince him to go get some sleep the first day any survivors came knocking on the Resistance's door. 

"You know," Rey leaned her head on Finn's shoulder, "he'll probably really want to see you when all this is over."

Finn's blush made Rey laugh, Finn playfully averting his gaze, muttering something under his breath.

"And what are two of my three favorite people gossiping about?" Poe suddenly appeared from behind, wrapping the duo into the tightest hug he could manage, "How we kicked the Empire's ass, I bet!"

"I was saying how Finn missed you!" Rey teased, pushing herself away, "But he just won't admit it!"

"Listen you greasy-" Finn broke down into a gale of giggles as Rey dodged a half-hearted smack to the arm.

"Well, I must say, I missed Finn too!" Poe grinned, "I mean, look at him, why wouldn't you miss the most suave, handsome man the galaxy has to offer?"

Rey raised her hands in mock defense as she backed away, jabbing a thumb towards the people milling in, "Alright, flyboy- I'm gonna see if anyone needs help settling in, okay?"

They weren't even looking at her as she left, talking with low voices and coy smiles while the world moved on around them. 

\-----

Finn wasn't entirely sure how he felt about Poe- being a Stormtrooper, there wasn't a lot of room to explore yourself- favorite foods, friends, entertainment, you know? Normal things that everyone knew about themselves that Finn just didn't. 

And then Poe was being held in the Finalizer's brig and decided he was going to escape so at the time, Finn did the only logical thing he could think of at the time.

He helped Poe escape. 

And the rest was history.

Finn knew he grew to like Poe, but... he felt confused, sometimes; his heart pounded a little harder whenever Poe was around, he found himself smiling whenever he thought about Poe and there was always an odd feeling in his chest when Poe laughed or hugged him. 

Like he was doing now, as they watched survivors traipse in to the Resistance base. It was hard to believe that he was a part of it, but seeing these innocent people just manage to survive the horrors of war, it was humbling. Especially considering where he started.

"Shall we go say hello?" Poe brought him out of his thoughts, "I think the people want to know who helped save their lives?"

"They're already meeting Rey though," Finn pointed out, "And Rose has lota of flowers in her room too."

Poe made a hand-wavey motion, "Yeeaahh but you started it all, didn't you?"

Finn shrugged, "I don't know how they would feel about a Stormtrooper giving out blankets."

That warm feeling was back as Poe tapped Finn's nose playfully, "Ex-Stormtrooper, my friend. And if anyone gives you trouble, I can just sic BB-8 on 'em."

Finn bit his lip, turning to watch as Rey weaved in and out of the crowd, a smile on her face as she helped give out water and blankets. Even as gruff as she was, Rey was way better suited to handle the situation: she was strong and willful, not to mention being a Jedi in training was a definite morale boost.

"So?" Poe scoffed, "Having the Force is not the only thing that classifies someone as a hero. It's what you choose to do."

Finn balked, "Was I talking out loud?"

Poe nodded, "No need to worry, alright? C'mon, let's go say hello."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2!!
> 
> My knowledge of Star Wars is very rusty please excuse any mistakes

Cal had heard a lot about the Resistance during his time on Bracca. It wasn't widespread news, but it was enough to get even the riggers and mechanics talking as they dug holes and blew up mountains. 

At the same time, Order 66 had cropped up, and soon whispers of the famous Luke Skywalker and his disappearing act made the rounds. As he pulled debris from the Sarlacc Pit, he heard of a map to find the last Jedi. During his lunch break (nothing edible, at least not for a human anyway) he eavesdropped on the bigger workers who spoke in hushed tones about a group following Luke, going against the Empire to "save the galaxy" or something like that. 

Over time, Cal found himself holding these stories close, especially when the Empire showed up on Bracca's doorstep the day everything went to shit.

They were at the Sarlacc Pit again, this time using a newly made pulley system to lift buckets from the depths. There had been word of scavengers falling in by accident, getting put into stasis-sleep by whatever thr Pit itself was. Cal grimaced as he pulled the bucket up, unearthing a half-chewed body and the almost fully melted remains of a blaster gun. 

It was when he dragged the body to the pile for searching that thr man had showed up.

"Grueling work for one so young," the man commented simply. Cal looked up to see him looming, dressed in the Empire's dreadfully dark black clothes, hands clasped behind his back. A hat was squashed atop red hair, blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at Cal as he worked. 

"It pays is all," Cal found himself saying, turning to rifle through the corpse's pockets. Whatever valuables found were aupposed to be turned over to head of construction; either Cal would get a tip for the amount found or the items were shipped off to the flea market and Cal wouldn't see a single penny. 

The man stood there, obscuring Cal in his long shadow as he said, "There has been word of a Jedi in these parts. Do you know anything about that?"

Cal stiffened, but luckily didn't stop working, keeping his head down as he stammered out, "Wouldn't kno-know anything about that. Sir."

The man hadn't said anything, nodding before moving on to question someone else. 

And then Cal heard a yell, and had stupidly revealed his own abilites with the Force and the man sent Empire troops to collect him.

So Cal ran, and never looked back. He didn't learn that the man who spoke to him was General Hux of the First Order until he found his way out of Bracca, and at the famed Resistance camp he'd heard so much about during his time on Bracca. 

He didn't know he apparently looked uncannily like General Hux until one if the Resistance's pilots tried to punch him in the face.

\-----

Rey had sensed it the day after everyone had settled in.

The day after the survivors found a home or work at the Resistance, Rey found herself trying to focus her attention on her own abilities with the Force. Finn sometimes went through breathing techniques and Poe would mediate with her when he was feeling antsy, but Rey always felt at odds because no one else had this ability. No one else she knew had such a strong connection.

Well, except for Ben. Kylo Ren. Whatever he wanted to go by, but he wasn't the best role model when it came to properly using the Force. 

He didn't want to change, so Rey left after the battle against Snoke and filled her time with her friends. Poe, she had only just met, but she connected with him easily, sharing casual jokes and simulating flight plans. Discovering things outside of what she knew was a fun use of her time with Finn, as he was still trying to figure himself out after being under the First Order's thumb for so long. 

Rey found she liked Rose immensely, building small model ships with her while she healed from her injuries, making them float and fly around the infirmary to see Rose and a few of the other patients smile and feel at least a little better. 

So the next morning, as she sat in the cargo bay with Poe as he played fetch with BB-8, she fekt an ever familiar tingle, a sensation like someone breathing softly against her neck.

It was like her bond with Kylo all over again.

One second, she was sitting with Poe on the floor of the cargo bay, and the next she was in a forest. Her stomach dropped as she settled, eyes wide as she took innthe unfamiliar surroundings- trees disappeared into the sky, a wide river gurgled lazily nearby and she could feel a cool breeze on her skin. 

Rey knew her body was still in the cargo bay with Poe and he was probably freaking out, but she moved forward, the grass damp against her ankles. The Force lead her along, a voice in her head telling her to keep going and it wasn't until she was deeper into the forest until she saw it. 

A smooth haven made of rock sat in the middle of a clearing, runes etched into the surface- she could recognize them from the few Jedi writings she got from Leia, although she couldn't really make them out properly. 

It wasn't too surprising; Luke had used one when he trained her on the island, as a way to channel the excess energy the Force offered. This, though, this was beyond anything she'd ever felt before.

Stronger than herself, stronger than Kylo Ren- hell, it was stronger than even Luke's energy reading and he was the strongest Force user Rey knew. 

But here she was, staring at a young man who couldn't be that much older than herself, with bright red hair and pale skin wearing a worker's uniform as he sat cross-legged on the haven, eyes squeezed shut as he meditated.

Or tried to. His Force Sensitivity seemed to sense her own and Rey watched as he fidgeted before opening his eyes with great annoyance.

"BD-1, if you're eating the food again-"

Rey froze as he stared at her, panic filling his features as he scrambled off the haven, hastily grabbing his belongings.

"Wait-" Rey started, holding out a hand to stop him.

"I don't know who you are but if you found me then Order 66 isn't too far behind!" he worried, then whistled, "BD-1! We gotta go, hurry it up!"

Rey was unsure of what to do as she watched the little droid scamper up the guy's arm to rest on his shoulder, but she had to talk to him! 

"You have the Force-" she tried again, jumping back when he hissed at her to shut up.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man said as he began walking away. 

Rey followed, jogging to catch up, "It's okay- I have it too! I could sense you-"

The man groaned, running a hand through his hair as he picked up the pace.

"That's just great, I may as well be a homing beacon!" he moaned, "Heya, Empire! Here's a Jedi! Right in Bracca!"

Rey beamed, chest puffing with pride, "That's amazing! I'm in training to be a Jedi! I have to tell Luke-"

The man froze, giving Rey an odd look as he reached up to pet his little droid friend. If Poe saw it, Rey knew he'd be cooing over the thing and making BB-8 the most jealous thing since C3P0.

"Luke?" the man said, almost as if he was too scared to do so, "As in Luke... Skywalker?"

Rey cocked her head, "Who else would be teaching me?"

The man shook his head vigorously, "No that... that isn't possible-"

His droid beeped at her in agreement.

"-we heard on the rigging machines, Luke disappeared. Jedi don't exist anymore."

Rey raised an eyebrow, "That's not true. He's at the Resistance base right now-"

"...The Resistance is real?"

Rey was taken aback. He sounded so afraid, his voice barely a whisper, practically lost in the breeze. 

"Is the Empire hunting you?" Rey asked bluntly, "This Order 66?"

The man was trembling now, as he opened his mouth to speak, only for a rustling to be heard amongst the trees and a person in the Empire's signature black burst out of the foliage, a double bladed staff fizzing purple electricity as they charged at the man, weapon at the ready.

The last thing Rey saw before being pulled out of the forest and into her own body once more was the man whipping out an ancient, broken lightsaber handle, blue eyes contorted with fear as the Empire lackeys moved in on him. 

Rey pushed away the hands that were on her, heart pounding against her ribs as whoever it was was saying something, their hands big on her shoulders-

"Rey! Calm down! It's me! It's Poe!" Rey breathed heavily as she blinked tears out her eyes to see Poe staring at her with a worried glint in his eye, an uncharacteristic frown on his face as he rubbed her shoulders in a soothing motion.

"Hey, hey...." Poe said softly, "Was it... A Force thing?"

Rey nodded, "Yeah."

"Can I ask what you saw?" Poe asked. 

Rey swallowed thickly, "You know how I have the Force?" Poe nodded, leaning against the wall of the ship.

"Yeah, Luke is training you right?" Poe suggested.

Rey nodded again, heaving a sigh. 

This was going to be difficult, but Poe was her friend. She knew he could help him, maybe Finn could help too....

"I remember I had a Force Bond with Kylo Ren," Rey began, "We could visit each other in our dreams or whenever we meditated-"

She wasn't prepared for the harsh tone as Poe suddenly demanded " Did you see him?!"

Rey shook her head moving to take his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. His skin was warm, and Rey ran her thumb across his knuckles. 

"No, but I was in a forest," Rey assured him, "Kylo never met in a forest. Only ever in his room on the Finalizer or the cave on the island where Luke startedd to train me."

Poe licked his lips, gesturing for Rey to continue.

"There was a-a haven, like the one Luke used to focus his Force abilities," Rey said quietly, "and there was a young guy meditating, he had.... red hair. He wore worker's clothes, and he had a little droid with him."

Poe gave a little grin, "I bet it has nothing on BB-8, right?"

Rey giggled, "He called it BD-1. He was very tiny. Liked to sit on his shoulder."

Poe slung an arm around her shoulder, hugging her tightly as she sniffed, wiping away unfallen tears away with the sleeve on his coat. She could hear BB-8 beeping something, Poe shushing the droid as he rubbed her back. 

After a few minutes, Poe moved to get up, and Rey allowed him to pull her up with him.

"Come on," Poe said, "Let's get some food in you and let's tell Leia, alright?"

Rey nodded, casting one more worried glance at the cargo bay doors before letting Poe usher her back inside the base. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should be working on my original story but oops here I am writing more fanfic enjoy

Leia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Poe had barged in (as he usually did) with a visibly upset Rey in tow, babbling about a new Jedi, an unregistered Jedi that apparently the Empire had yet to find. She didn't want to believe it, as Rey had only recently discovered her own Force related abilities and Luke had only just come out of hiding to help the Resistance. 

With Ben.... no, with Kylo Ren breathing down their backs every second, Leia was afraid they didn't have time for Jedis who just appeared out of the blue, it was too big a risk and could endager the lives of those they just saved. 

"You don't understand!" Rey shot back as Leia explained this, "I saw him, just like I saw Kylo! I spoke to him and he's terrified and alone!"

Leia sighed, turning to her brother for help.

"Well..." Luke trailed, fixing the front of his robes oh so casually, "Where.... Where did you see this man?"

"On a planet with a lot of green," Rey did her best to explain, although it would have been much easier if Rey were a bit more travelled, "There were really tall trees, I remember seeing one of those havens like back on the island."

Luke nodded, stroking his beard, "Alright. Anything else catch your eye? Anything that stood out to you?"

Leia pursed her lips when Rey went quiet, brow furrowed as she tried to think. Poe rubbed her shoulder, whispering friendly encouragement and while it was sweet, Leia wanted to tell him to let Rey focus, although she did look as if she were about to pop a blood vessel with how hard she was thinking about it. 

"Bracca," Rey finally said, "He mentioned he was on the planet Bracca-"

"Bracca? We could work with that-" Luke started.

"- and that the Order 66 was after him?"

"- but not with that!" Luke conceded, "What the Kriff? I thought Order 66 died out a long time ago!"

Leia nodded, "Supposedly around the Rogue One incident, may they rest in peace."

The room erupted in quiet chatter, members of the council and the Resistance talking heatedly amongst themselves- Leia could hear a few mention the Jedi being made up, some were thinking it to be a ploy from the Empsire and of course, one person always believes it to be a hoax because why not? Clearing her throat loudly, Leia silenced the staff, hands clasped in front of her on fhe desk. She looked pointedly at Rey, who watched curiously.

"If what you say is true, then we have a bigger problem than the Empire on our hands," Leia stated, " For now, keep in contact with this Jedi. With any luck, he'll make his way here."

"With all due respect, General," Poe chimed in carefully, "What if he doesn't make it here in time?"

Leia looked him dead in the eye as she said, "Then you hop on your fastest ship and do what you do best, Commander. Fly."

\-----

Cere Junda's throat was hoarse but she kept yelling, frantic as she made her way through the forest. Cal was too young to be out here, and Saw Gerrerra knew it but he sent him out any way and now? Now he was gone, the Force Bond she formed with him growing weaker than it had been at the start.

"Cal!" she cupped her mouth with her hands, "Cal! Where are you?!"

"Stop yelling!" Greez admonished as he waddled next to her, spluttering as he walked through a spider-web, "Do you want the Empire to find us?!"

Cere rolled her eyes, kicking a rock angrily; it tumbled a few inches, her toe throbbing in pain.

"I don't see you doing anything, Greerz" Cere accused, "We need to get Cal to the Resistance-"

"There you go with the Resistance," Greez groaned, "I mean, who's to say Gerrera didn't make it up? Boost morale? Because let's face it, even with Cal being a Jedi, he ain't much to talk about."

Cere smacked her forehead, rubbing her temples; she could feel a headache coming on and already she could hear the blood pumping. Her Force ability was trying to work, she could feel it lingering, but even with traces of Cal, his Force aura was faint.

It had been a while since she used the Force, but hopefully, Cal was still alive.

"I mean," Greez added, "He didn't even show up until recently outta nowhere and now the Second Sisters are after him!"

"Okay! Okay," Cere huffed, squaring her shoulders, "We know Cal was in the forest last-"

Greez tapped her arm, pulling her forward, "When you were training as a Jedi, did you use those glowing rocks?"

Cere nodded, allowing Greez to pull her closer. A few feet ahead, she could see a haven, a soft blue glow emanating from the etchings on the surface. Up close, she could see the rock was slightly wet- 

"He was here a moment ago," Cere pointed out, "Must have fallen in the river."

Greez shrugged, "Okay- which way do you think he went?"

Cere moved to sit on the haven, small pebbles digging into her thighs as she settled herself, puffing out her chest as she closed her eyes.

The Force swirled around her, her veins thrumming with each inhale, and with a slight pull of her chest, she found herself no longer in a forest, but in what looked like a cargo bay.

There was a ship, newly refurbished after sustaining heavy scratches and one of the wings was bent. Two men and a woman were preparing it, the taller man with tanned skin and curly brown hair slipping into an orange pilot uniform. The second man was shrugging on a worn leather jacket, slipping blasters onto his person where he could.

The young woman, however, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, closing and opening her eyes as she tried to focus on something.

Cere carefully walked closer, eyes darting between the three- they didn't look extremely dangerous, but warning bells were going off in her head and she sure wasn't going to ignore them now.

"Guys, I can't focus with all the noise!" the girl huffed in annoyance, blowing strands of brown hair out of her eyes as she fidgeted. She looked to be about Cal's age, Cere noticed, an odd air about her as she tried to meditate.

Mediatate- she had to be a Jedi. But her aur seemed stronger than Cere was used to sensing from other Jedi- not as strong as Cal's, but she had potential.

"Rey, you can't Force-Bond when you're so strung up," the pilot warned, "Wasn't that one of the things Luke taught you?"

Cere dared to dash across the floor, ducking expertly behind one of their ship's wings.

"Yes, but you didn't see him, Poe," the girl named Rey said. "He was too scared to even talk to me- he didn't think the Resistance was real-"

"So we bring him here," Poe cut her off, "but it's obvious you need rest and food."

He- who was 'he'? Cere never really understood her own Force-Bond, never able to properly use it to it's full extent, but if Rey was talking about who Cere thought she was talking about...

"I need you to help me!" Cere blurted, surprising herself as she ran out from her hiding spot, making the girl jump; a dull noise sounded and Cere found herself staring at the business end of a bright blue lightsaber, crackling with energy.

"You're a Jedi," Cere raised her hands in defense, "I am too."

Rey raised an eyebrow, "How do I know you aren't Kylo in disguise? Some trick to get me to give up Luke?"

Cere shook her head, "Because the Empire wants me too. They want all the Jedi and my friend needs your help."

Rey lowered her lightsaber, eyes glinting with confusion as she asked carefully, "Who's you're friend?"

Cere gulped, lowering her hands, "He has a blue lightsaber, just like yours. Did you meet him using your Force Bond?"

Rey took a step forward, "Are you using one right now?"

"Yes," Cere admitted, "Although I have not trained in quite some time, so it isn't as strong as I need it to be. Tell me you saw my friend."

Rey bit her lip, sheathing her lightsaber before hooking it to one of her many belts. Cere noticed the staff on her back and cursed- she should have taught Cal how to use a secondary weapon. 

After a few minutes, Rey cleared her throat, "Your friend... did he have red hair? A droid was with him too, a tiny one on his shoulder."

Cere wanted to cry with relief, "Yes! That's Cal- BD-1 is his droid, he doesn't go anywhere without the little guy!" 

Rey beamed, all bright white teeth and pink cheeks as she rushed forward to grab Cere's hand, squeezing tightly, "Yes! I spoke with him- he got attacked in the woods, though-"

"Attacked?" Cere frowned, "By who?"

Rey shrugged, "I don't know, I didn't recognize them, but they had a double bladed staff, with purple energy. And he mentioned an Order 66."

Cere's breath hitched in her throat, and she found herself averting her gaze to focus on Rey's friends. She knew they couldn't see her, but she didn't miss the worried glances nor the small reassuring touches as they no doubt worked around Rey while she meditated.

"That's Second Sister," Cere explained, "an Inquisitor sent by Order 66, they are a major problem and if they found Cal, they might find you too."

Rey pursed her lips, "The leader of the Resistance just gave us a mission to find Cal, bring him here to the Resistance Base. Where would these sisters take him?"

"There's an old First Order building on Kashyyyk," Cere withdrew her hands from Rey's grip, a phantom warmth radiating on her palms, "They're most likely taking him there if they didn't kill him outright."

Rey winced, but thankfully didn't say anything about it, instead jumping forward to suddenly wrap Cere in a hug.

"We'll find Cal," Rey's promise was harsh through gritted teeth as she pulled away just as quickly, "I'll fill in Poe and Finn and you try and find the Resistance."

Cere was taken aback, "I thought the Resistance was a myth?"

Rey smirked, "Not when people need hope. Here are the coordinates, Luke or Leia will greet you at the gate."

Before Cere could protest, there was a sharp tug in her sternum and she found herself once more sitting on the haven, no doubt looking shocked as Greez helped her stand up, massaging her wrists as pins and needles danced under her skin.

"So?" Greez said excitedly, "You find Cal?"

Cere shook her head.

"No," she said, "but I found someone who can." 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!! I went to NYCC this weekend it was a lot of fun!! Got to play the Project Resistance demo from Capcom and it was super cool too

"Okay, so let me get this right," Finn scratched his head, "You contacted this Cal guy through your Force-Bond-"

"Which you need to work on yours, you haven't used the Force in a while," Rey jabbed at him playfully.

"- and then you contacted another Jedi who is friends with Cal?" Finn finished, stumbling as he tried to walk past yet another tree without tripping over the roots. He had never been on a green planet before, aside from anywhere the First Order had invaded during his time as a Storm Trooper, so seeing a new place like Bracca was nice.

Seeing it with Poe was nice, but Finn didn't dwell on it, trying to hide his blush as he and Poe followed Rey through the forest. 

"That's about right," Rey sighed, "While we get Cal, his friends are gonna go to the Resistance."

Well. Finn fixed the zipper on his coat, looking back at Poe, who was ushering BB-8 along as best he could, the pilot laughing at whatever the little droid was beeping at him. Poe's laugh echoed in the vast expanse of trees, making Finn's spine tingle warmly- Rey kept shooting him coy looks, but thankfully didn't say anything.

"Bracca is lovely," Finn said after a moment, "very, uh, green."

"Yeah," Rey chuckled, "very green."

Kriff, Finn knew he was bad at small talk, but this was taking the cake, and he'd never been more embarassed in his life. Sighing, Finn changed the subject, "Are we almost there yet?"

Rey didn't say anything for a few minutes, allowing Poe and BB-8 to finally catch up before she said, "I can.... sense him, I guess. Very strong energy levels, easy enough to tell it's Cal's, but...."

"But?" Poe prompted her to continue.

"It's a mess," Rey said, closing her eyes to focus, "It's everywhere and I can't make sense of it."

"So....?" Poe gestured for her to continue.

Rey ran a hand through her hair, a few strands coming loose from the top bun of her hairstyle; she looked slightly frazzled, apinning in place as if trying to follow some sort of internal compass, spinning and spinning until she was a blur. 

Before either Finn or Poe could say anything, a sharp yell broke through the forest- overhead a flock of birds cawed loudly, flapping in a flurry of black and white wings. The voice was rough, an agonized rasp with a slightly higher pitch.

"Cal," was all Rey said before racing towards the trees, hurtling at top speed until Finn and Poe were forced to folllow. BB-8 beeped in fear, something akin to one of R2-D2's classic screams when Luke had apparently done something stupid as a teenager. The little droid was a blur of orange and white, antenna nearly scraping the forest floor as they went. 

"Got your blaster ready?" Poe nudged Finn with a quick smirk.

"Always do," Finn nodded, skidding to a stop as they found Rey ducked behind a fallen tree, fiddling with the clip on her belt as sue tried retreiving her light saber. A closer look told Finn the tree had been sliced clean through, a molten material dripping from thee jagged edge that was once red bark flaking off te trunk. 

Stealing a look beyond their hiding spot, Finn nearly gasped at what he saw. 

In the clearing was a haven- one Finn knew Luke or Rey would use to meditate. The blue energy looked marred, and he winced as he saw a tall woman in a black suit and sturdy helmet slam a blade with purple electricity into the stone. 

"Rey, are you okay?" Finn heard Poe ask carefully.

"My stupid! Belt clip isn't kriffing working!" Rey hissed under her breath as she scrabbled at the clip with stubby nails. 

Finn undid the safety on his blaster, "I can go in first. Former Stormtrooper, might be safer."

"And get yourself killed?!" Rey shot back, "I saw that lady attack Cal before-"

The three of them flinched, huddling together as Cal's agonized cry cut them off. There was a woosh and Finn knew someone must have ignited a lightsaber, he could practically feel the heat from it even from where he sat a few feet away. 

"You can't save them" the woman suddenly said, her voice warbled by her helmet, "you're battle is futile." 

A few grunts and pants were all that came from Cal before they finally heard him say with such vitriol:

"I'd rather die trying than shack up with you!"

Finn didn't even hear gis friends worried pleas as he sprang up from behind the tree, blaster at the ready and already shooting as he stalked into the fight. His spine was rigid, elbiws locked as he shot laser after laser- the woman thankfully seemed slightly taken aback, taking a hit to the shoulder before remembering she had a weapon of her own.

Finn dodged each bullet replled back at him with ease. His own Force sense tickled under his skin, and as he forced himself forward, unflinching towards the woman in black, Finn let his Force sense span outwards, towards the young man moaning on the ground, trying to get his lightsaber working properly. 

The woman used her staff to repel the last of his bullets, cocking her head in what Finn could only think was amusement as he stood there clicking his gun.

"Your ability is weak," the woman taunted, "The Force is barely in your blood, you are not even worth killing."

Finn scowled, throwing his blaster to the side. It landed softly in the grass, a few feet away from the now cracked haven. From the corner of his eye, Finn could see Cal force himself to sit up, panting heavily as he gripped the blade of his lightsaber. 

"And I am?" Cal spat at the woman, "I thought the Order was looking for anyone Force-Sensitive." 

The woman laughed, "Just because one has the Force does not mean they are a Jedi. I know this one very well- General Hux will be so disappointed to learn your training didn't stick, FN-1287."

Finn bristled, heart beating rapidly as he caught Cal's look of surprise and Finn didn't blame him; knowing what he knew now, Finn would probably hate himself too if he were a Jedi and not a former Stormtrooper. 

"The name's Finn," Finn announced boldly, pulling a second blaster from one of his holsters, finger on the trigger, "and the Jedi aren't dying today or any day for that matter."

Like lightning, he pulled the trigger, everything moving suddenly slowvas he watched the bullet exit the barrel. The woman raised her staff in defense, but it was too late as the laser hit home, burning through her chest. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!! 
> 
> I'm rewatching gotham with the bf and it's so weird seeing Cameron Monaghan as The Joker now since he's basically a Baby™ in Star Wars now
> 
> Anyway enjoy!

The woman collapsed heavily and Cal scuttled backwards to avoid being pinned by dead weight and flailing limbs. Second Sister's weapon skittered across the ground, scraping the dirt as it went. Breathing heavily, Cal stared up at the man with the blaster, cocking his head as he took everything in.

His dark skin was sheened with sweat, shoulders heaving under a worn leather jacket and black hair was cut short, close to his skull. 

"Are you Cal?" the guy asked with a deep voice.

Cal gulped, "Who are you?"

The man didn't answer right away, instead turning to look back at a fallen tree; following his line of sight, Cal could make out two other people as they slowly revealed themselves, a man and a woman with more blasters on their person. A small BB-8 unit was rolling alongside them, chirping loudly in the empty forest. 

"I'm Finn," the man who saved him said, then gesturing to the others, "the guy in the pilot suit is Poe. She's Rey."

Cal looked between them, goosebumps breaking out on his skin as everyone waited in silence. Poe looked like he was analyzing him, rubbing his chin like some mafia boss who was about to send you out back and get a blaster to the back for miscounting credits one time in the finance book. 

Well, Cal had seen it happen to a few people on the Scrapper sites where he worked. He wasn't entirely sure what this group wanted with him. 

"That woman said you were a Jedi," Finn said, "Rey is too."

"In training, but still," Rey corrected him awkwardly before taking a step forward, "We spoke through a Force Bond."

Cal frowned. He didn't really know what that was- Cere was still trying to instill the basic training for him and he wasn't able to fully control his abilities just yet. 

"Force bond?" Cal asked, "Is that how we spoke?"

Now Rey looked confused, exchanging a nervous glance with her friends before saying, "Do you not know what a Force Bond is? How are you a Jedi and don't know what that is?"

Cal shrugged, moving to sit up properly, "When I was in the Jedi Order, we didn't have a name for it, we just did it."

"Well, there's been lots of changes to the Order recently," Rey said.

"I can see that," Cal retorted, then to Finn, "Second Sister said you were a Stormtrooper- are you going to take me in?"

The guy in the orange pilot suit suddenly came forward, pushing Finn behind him protectively. Cal swallowed as he leaned back on his elbows, the fire in the pilot's eyes burning, boring daggers into his chest.

"Finn is a part of the Resistance," Poe growled through clenched teeth, "don't even dare consider otherwise, you evil look-a-like!"

Cal frowned, cocking his head as tried to protest, "I don't-"

_WHAM!_

Cal didn't register that he was bleeding until he was laying down fully, his head thumping against the ground on his way down. Warmth trickled down his face and with a shaky hand, Cal lifted a hand to his lips.

The tips of his fingers came away red. Poe was fuming above him, hunched over in his anger until he was all Cal could see, amd for a second, he remembered his time on the Scrapper Site, running from Empire officials as he tried to save his coworker.

Breath hitching in his throat, Cal backed away, wiping the blood off his face with the back of his arm. He could see Finn and Rey staring at their friend, the disbelief evident on their faces. 

"Poe, what the Kriff?!" Finn finally said.

Poe didn't say anything, glaring angrily at Cal.

"Poe, are you alright?" Rey offered, reaching out to touch his shoulder, only for Poe to wrench himself away, whistling at his little droid before storming off, but Cal could still feel those eyes on him.

That frightened Cal a little more than any Empire soldier at the moment.

\------

Poe didn't know what to do, if he was being honest.

He knew the Jedi were in danger. He knew that the First Order was cracking down on the Resistance and with Luke Skywalker back in the picture, it was more dangerous than ever. So when Rey mentioned this Cal to him, when Leia and Luke gave the okay to go find him and bring him back, Poe was right behind her to help. 

Poe just hadn't expected Cal to look like him. With his red hair and blue eyes, Poe didn't think Cal would look like the disgusting First Order officer that managed to hold him hostage, to get under his skin in the worst way and stay there, lurking in the back of his mind. 

He didn't expect Cal to look like General Hux. 

Even now, as he stormed off with BB-8 in tow, chest burning as he felt himself hyperventilate, hands shaky... hands...

Poe glanced down at his knuckles, licking his lips nervously.

"Kriff!" he muttered under his breath, taking in the blood that stained his knuckles. Clenching his jaw, he reached into his pocket and took out a semi-clean rag, wiping furiously at his skin, the red smearing between his fingers. Barely, he could hear footsteps, a familoar voice calling for him.

BB-8 beeped happily and Poe glanced behind him to see Finn moving through the underbrush, face etched with worry.

"H-Hey, Finn..." Poe offered dumbly, still scrubbing the blood off. Finn reached out and took the rag from him, holding onto Poe's hand as he put the rag in his own pocket.

"You scrub too hard you're gonna hurt yourself," Finn warned, rubbing his thumb over Poe's knuckles.

"Where's Rey?" Poe asked.

Finn gestured behind him, back at the clearing they had found Cal, "She stayed with Cal- why'd you punch him any way?"

And there was the question. It was a simple answer. He opened his mouth to answer, closing it when nothing but a pathetic squeak came out, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as he gasped like a fish out of water.

"Oh! Okay, okay-" Finn grabbed Poe's shoulders, giving him a reassuring squeeze, but Poe ignored it as Finn tried to reassure him, "- it's okay, I'm here, you're okay, we're not on the Finalizer, Poe. It's okay...."

Poe nodded, blinking back tears as he let Finn's voice wash over him, breathing shaky as he tried to focus on Finn's voice, low and soothing, his strong hands grounding him, an anchor as he pulled himself out of his panic. 

When he opened his eyes (Poe wasn't sure when he had closed them), Finn was smiling at him softly, nodding as he said, "There we are. Need my pilot, yeah?"

Poe nodded, clapping Finn's shoulder, "Yeah, buddy, you need your pilot."

"Do you think you're able to tell me why you punched Cal in the face back there?"

The words stuck in his throat, but he managed to get out the words with a croak.

"He.... he looks like him."

Finn raised an eyebrow, "Someone on the Finalizer you mean?"

Poe nodded, licking his lips as he looked back towards the clearing, just over Finn's shoulder, "Red hair, blue eyes- he looks like Hux, Finn. Hux.... you saved me from his torture, I-I-"

"It's okay, Poe, it's okay!" Finn reassured him, wrapping Poe up in a hug and Poe returned it, clutching onto his friend as if for dear life, fingers digging harshly into the back of Finn's jacket as if he was going to disappear. 


End file.
